FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MARCH 18, 2013

American Academy of Neurology Launches New App to Help Evaluate Sports Concussion at Games

SAN DIEGO – The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the world’s largest association of neurologists who treat brain injuries such as concussion, has launched a new app called "Concussion QuickCheck", to help coaches, athletic trainers, parents and athletes quickly evaluate if someone may have a concussion and needs to see a licensed health care provider, such as a neurologist, who is specialized in concussion.

The app, which is available for iPad, IOS (Apple), Android, and mobile, was developed in partnership with the Academy’s updated guideline for diagnosing and evaluating sports concussion. The announcement of the new app was made at the Academy’s Annual Meeting in San Diego today in conjunction with the release of the 0TUupdated sports concussion guidelineU0T.

Key information and tools in the "Concussion Quick Check" app include:

• Common signs of concussion
• Symptoms of concussion
• Things the athlete may tell you
• What to do if an athlete has a head injury during a game
• What to do if it appears the athlete has a concussion
• When an athlete should return to the game
• Help finding a neurologist near you (GPS capability)
• Help finding state laws on concussion
• More about the Academy’s new guideline for diagnosing, treating and managing sports concussion

"The American Academy of Neurology, the world’s largest association of neurologists, is the trusted authority in managing sports concussion," said Christopher C. Giza, MD, with the David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, who helped develop the content for the Concussion Quick Check app. "We hope this easy-to-access tool will help coaches, athletic trainers, parents and athletes alike to quickly determine if an athlete shows signs of concussion and needs to see a licensed health care professional trained in managing concussion, such as a neurologist. It’s a perfect tool to have on your iPad or smart phone when coaching or watching a game from the sidelines."

Learn more at http://www.aan.com/concussion.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

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